The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill Directed by Judy Irving

"You'll laugh, you'll cry and your heart is guaranteed to soar at least as high as Pushkin, Connor, Sophie and the rest of the flock." Washington Post

In a celebration of urban wildness comes this 2-disc collector’s edition of one of the most heartwarming and beloved docs of all time, THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL.

This wonderful film tells the true story of a local bohemian, Mark Bittner and his remarkable relationship with a flock of wild red and green parrots. Following the ups-and-downs of these wild birds within the green nooks of San Francsico our endearing guide befriends, feeds and names the members of the flock. Among them are Connor, the lonely blue-crowned conure; Picasso and Sophie, an affectionate couple who love to cuddle; Pushkin, a single father who raises three babies on his own; and Mingus, a cherry-headed conure who tries to join the flock, but, hobbled by a crippled leg, comes to live with Mark Bittner in his house instead.

Packed with romance, comedy and a surprise ending that “makes you feel like you could fly out of the theater” (San Jose Mercury News), this special collector’s edition includes a fully illustrated companion booklet with an excerpt from Mark Bittner’s best selling book by the same name, as well as a bonus disc loaded with over 100 minutes of new material including updates on the San Francisco flock, Mark Bittner, and Judy Irving; a music video “Ballad of the Brooklyn Parrots;” outtakes; two new films by director Judy Irving plus much, much, more.

Reviews

"Bittner has a passion for these parrots, he's taken the time to painstakingly befriend them, and Telegraph Hill takes you into his world as completely as he has gone into theirs."
- Kenneth Turn, Los Angeles Times

"By the end of the movie, you might find yourself so wrapped up in Bittner and the parrots that you have tears in your eyes."
- Russell Scott Smith, New York Post

"Judy Irving's affectionate documentary profiles a 50-ish San Franciscan who tends a flock of around four dozen wild parrots that live in his neighborhood."
- Stephen Holden, New York Times

"The beautiful shots of San Francisco's lush Telegraph Hill are captivating by themselves, but the film's greatest achievement is its humanity." – Marta Barber – Miami Herald

"Irving's film [is] as informal and easygoing as its subject." – San Francisco Chronicle

"By the end of the movie, you might find yourself so wrapped up in Bittner and the parrots that you have tears in your eyes." – Russell Scott Smith – New York Post

Judy Irving's affectionate documentary profiles a 50-ish San Franciscan who tends a flock of around four dozen wild parrots that live in his neighborhood. – Stephen Holden – New York Times

"Bittner is an acutely compassionate man, and Irving is careful to question the details of his life without prosecuting him." – Wesley Morris - Boston Globe

"Bittner has a passion for these parrots, he's taken the time to painstakingly befriend them, and Telegraph Hill takes you into his world as completely as he has gone into theirs." Kenneth Turn – Los Angeles Times

"Turns out to be that rarity: a movie that makes its audience happier for having seen it." – Moira MacDonald – Seattle Times